Collapsible supporting-frame.



PATENTED OCT. 2, 1906.

W. RUGER, Jn. GOLLAPSIBLE SUPPORTING FRAME.

APPLIOATION FILED 001. 16, 1906.

50-. WASNINONN. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COLLAPSIBLE SUPPORTING-FRAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 1906.

Application filed ember 16.1905. Serial No. 282,874.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM RUGER, J r., a citizen of the United States,residing at J anesville, in the county of Rock and State of Wis.

consin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inCollapsible Supporting- Frames, of which the following is a full, clear,concise, and eXact description.

My invention relates to a portable knock down supporting-frame to beused more particularly for suspending cooking utensils over a camp-fire,and has for its object to provide a simple, cheap, and efficient supportwhich may be readily taken apart and made to occupy very little space inorder to be in convenient form for packing or shipment.

Generally speaking, the frame of my invention comprises a cross-barhaving hollow ends and detachable legs having their upper ends formed tofit into the ends of said crossbar to support the same.

A further feature of my invention consists in the provision of acollapsible supporting device for cooking utensils adapted to besuspended from the cross-bar over a camp-fire.

I will describe my invention more particularly by reference to theaccompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred form thereof,reserving for the appended claims a statement of the particular featuresand apparatus which I consider to be novel.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the supporting-frame and thecollapsible supporting device suspended therefrom, illustrating thepreferred form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a viewshowing the frameknocked down with the parts in compact form for shipment. Fig. 3 is aperspective detail view of the collapsible supporting device, showing indotted lines the manner in which the device is folded. Fig. 4 is afragmentary perspective view showing the upper ends of a pair of legs inposition to enter the end of the cross-bar; and Fig. 5 is an enlargedcross-sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

The same letters of reference designate the same parts throughout theseveral figures of the drawings.

The supporting-frame illustrated in the drawings is provided with ahorizontal crossbar a, having hollow ends a a, said cross-bar preferablybeing a hollow metal tube, such as a piece of gas-pipe. This cross-bar ais supported by legs I) b, whose upper ends I) are inserted in thehollow ends of the cross-bar a.

A pair of legs is preferably provided at each end of the cross-bar, theupper ends of the legs of each pair being bent at an angle and formed sothat the two ends together fit snugly in the bore of the tube and givemutual support to each other and to the tube. This may be accomplished,as shown inFigs.

4 and 5, each pair of legs being flattened at their sides, so that suchflattened portions will be in engagement with each other to.

maintain the legs of each pair in a fixed angular relation to eachother. The legs of each pair thus form a rigid inverted-V shaped supportfor the cross-bar to prevent wabbling of the frame. The legs I) b may besimply stout metal rods or bars. I also provide a collapsible supportingdevice 0, adapted to be suspended from the bar a over a campfire, thesupporting device being suspended by arms 0, having hooks c passing overthe bar a. The base of the supporting device preferably comprises twoend rods or bars 0 a", united by cross-bars 0 0 having link connectionswith said rods. The arms 0 are preferably four in number and united bylink connections with the ends of the end rods. A very simple andefficient suspending support is thus provided ,for cooking utensilswhich when not in use may be collapsed and made to occupy very littlespace, with the end rods and cross-bars all lying parallel to each otherin a compact bundle.

With my construction above described it will be seen that the parts ofthe frame may be easily and quickly assembled and taken apart, and whendisassembled the parts of the frame and the collapsible suspendingdevice may be tied together in very compact form for shipping orpacking. The feature just referred to makes the device of especial valueto campers moving with pack outfits from place to place, since large andcumbersome packs cannot be employed and all parts of a pack must be ofminimum size and compactly and firmly put together to occupy the leastpossible space. The device is also very light, simple, and cheap tomanufacture.

I am aware that my supporting-frame is capable of use for various otherpurposes than that herein mentioned. For example, it may be used as atent-frame. The form of the structure may also be varied withoutdeparting from the invention. I do not, there'- fore, desire to beunderstood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement shown; but,

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a supporting-frame thecombination with a cross-bar having openings in the ends thereof, ofsupports therefor, each support comprising a pair of legs having bentupper ends inserted in one of said openings, said ends being flattenedand in engagement to maintain the legs in fixed relation to each other.

2 In a supporting-frame forcooking utensils, the combination with ahollow cross-bar, of supports therefor, each support comprising a pairof legs having horizontally-bent upper ends inserted in one end of thecrossbar, said upper ends having flattened sides in engagement tomaintain said legs in a fixed angular relation to each other.

3. In a collapsible frame, a bar having a tubular end, in combinationwith a pair of detachable legs therefor, the upper ends of said legsbeing formed angularly to fit together side by'side in the tubular endof said ar.

4. A collapsible support for camp-cooking utensils comprising a pair ofend bars 0 c cross-bars o linked to and uniting said end bars, andhanger-arms linked to said end bars and having hooks at their upper endsadapted to be hooked over a horizontal supporting crossbar.

5. The combination with a hollow crossbar, of a pair of legs at each endof said bar, the upper ends of the legs of each pair being bent andformed angularly to lie side by side in a hollow end of said bar.

6. In a supporting-frame, the combination with a hollow cross-bar, of apair of legs at each end of said bar, the upper ends of each pair beingbent to lie in engagement side by side within an end of said bar.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 13th day ofOctober, A. D.

WILLIAM RUGER, JR. Witnesses:

I VILLIAM RUGEI t, N, J. EMERY.

